Johanna
by Mantinas
Summary: Focuses on Johanna from when she is confronted by Sweeney Todd and then two years later.
1. Chapter 1

Johanna

Mantinas-I hope you like this.

Disclaimer-Sweeney Todd belongs to his respected owners and play/music writers. I do not own the snippets of song that are found through out this, either.

Ignore the words in parenthasies, they are only lyrics to "Johanna" that I felt should be in here. In a way, they inspired me to write this.

-------------

She shook, her whole body quaked from her encounter with the man who killed her step-father. She grasped onto the armrests of the chair, fearing that it would tilt her back and into the dead arms of Turpin. She'd never be free from him.

The door opened as the bell rang. Her head jerked to the side, seeing who came. Anthony. She gasped, stood up crying, and ran to him. He wrapped his arms around her in a hug.

"Shh." He said soothingly, rocking them gently. "Everything's fine now."

"Anthony." She said between tears. "He…he…k-k-k-killed Judge Turpin!"

"What?" Anthony said, surprised by what he was hearing. "Who?"

"Mr. Todd!" She spat.

"That can't be right." He said. "Mr. Todd would never harm anyone."

"Oh no?" She asked, angered that her rescuer didn't believe her. "Then what's this?" She pressed down on the chair. It tilted backwards, the floor sliding open revealing bodies.

"_Life is for the alive, my dear._" Mr. Todd was singing, dancing with Mrs. Lovett. "_So let's keep living it! Just keep living it! __**Really**__ living it!_" He pushed her into the oven and watched her burn.

Johanna and Anthony grew pale as she screamed. The floor slide shut, sparing them from the sight. Johanna was fixated on the spot where they saw the horrendous sight. Anthony looked up.

"I'll get the constable." Anthony said. "You stay put." He ran out the door, the bell ringing, signaling his departure from the room.

Her curiosity got the best of her. She ran out of the barber shop and ran downstairs to the pie shop. That's when she saw the boy. She gasped when she saw him. It wasn't so much his appearance as it was what he was carrying; a blood soaked blade.

"'Ello, mum." He said calmly. All the anger that plagued him earlier was gone.

"Where did you come from?" She asked, trying to stay away from him. If he killed before, he would probably kill again. He pointed towards the black door.

She walked towards it slowly. Cautiously. As if she made a fast move, it would attack her like some wild beast. And why not, considering what went on _behind_ it?

She opened it and gasped. The room was shrouded in the furnace's flame, revealing Sweeney's still bleeding form holding that mad begger woman in a loving embrace. She walked inside slowly, looking at all of the gruesome things.

The grinder that still had something in it. And racks of bloody body parts. And the corpses under the chute that was in Sweeney's barber shop. And then it hit her, and she was sick to her stomach.

She ran out of the room.

The constable came shortly after. He asked the usual questions. She told him what she saw. The boy was silent, worried about what was sure to come.

"You," The constable said pointing at the boy. "Why are you holding that bloody knife?"

He explained. He was cuffed and taken away. Johanna didn't say a word. She knew better than to defend him. If he killed once, then he might kill again. And if he were to be watched by her and Anthony, then they might be his next.

(_I still have reason to rejoyce the way ahead, is clear_)

-----------2 years later

(_It's always morning in my mind, my pet, Johana_)

She held her new born baby girl to her breast in the living room, awaiting her husband. He shipped out a month ago and was due back by noon. They did wonders. He wanted to live by the sea, his second favorite thing on earth(the first being near her), and she never saw it. It was a win-win situation.

The girl cried, spitting up her milk. She wiped the infant's mouth with a rag and bounced her gently until she fell asleep.

Her and Anthony's life was wonderful now after years of nightmares that don't bother her now of Mr. Todd, her savior and demon. Her mind was fully on being a mother.

She sometimes wondered if Mr. Todd had a family. She knew there had to be a reason for his killings, Turpin never told her about him like he did after every case. She knew Turpin knew him and was scared, she thought she even heard a name, but she couldn't hear it clearly in the trunk where she hid. But that didn't bother her. That was in her past and unimportant. All that was important to her now was her family.

Anthony opened the door and faced his wife. He dropped his bags once he saw the little person in his wife's arms. He smiled and ran to her side.

"Johanna," He said happily. "She's beautiful!"

"Shh." She said. "She's finally sleeping."

The little girl woke her early and never went back to bed. That made both girls a little on edge.

"Sorry," He said, kissing her on her forehead. "I love you."

"I love you, too." She said, kissing him on the lips.

"Julia's just as pretty as her mother." He said smiling. As was custom, he named her.

Johanna looked down at her daughter, the newly christened Julia, and smiled. She liked that name. She thought it fit the little angel that was peacefully sleeping in her arms.

-----------The End

(_We learn, Johanna, to say...Goodbye)_


	2. Chapter 2

Johanna walked towards the front door that moments before was knocking loudly. She opened it, revealing a constable.

"Johanna?" He asked curtly.

She tiredly nodded.

"This is for you." He handed her a letter.

"What is it?" She asked through a yawn.

"What we could piece together about Sweeney Todd, mum." He said. "It has something that pertains to you."

"Thank you." She said daftly, taking it from him. He tipped his hat and walked on. She closed the door and walked towards her bedroom and embraced sleep again. Until Julia cried out hungrily.

-----------------

She paced back-and-forth in the living room, the letter watching her from the coffee table. Behind her the flames in her fire place heated the cold room.

Why did he give this to her? What could a mad man have to do with her? Sweeney Todd and Mrs. Lovett were strangers to her. Didn't they have family?

"Should I open it?" She asked herself again.

She of course had questions. Who wouldn't? But what if these were just scraps that answered little, nothing, or had you asking more questions.

And then another thought struck her. Her life was perfect! Finally perfect! She was free! She had a loving family, not some selfish old man who wanted to marry her. And common sense said that meddling with psychopaths was a thing to avoid.

"So what should I do?" Was all she said. "Maybe I can stand the theories."

All of London. No, all of the _world_ had theories as to why "The Demon Barber of Fleet Street" committed such crimes. Locals said it was Benjamin Barker, back for revenge. Others said he was a countless, nameless face snapped from stress, the times still being hard. Of course no one went further in explaining the Ben Barker theory. They said it should be obvious. But it wasn't. Not for her.

Anthony was no help. He already woke up, ate breakfast, and was out with friends. He only explained what he knew. And that wasn't enough.

She had decided. She would read it. God damn the consequences!

She picked it up and turned towards the fire place. She flipped it over, going to open it, when Julia cried, spooking her. She jumped, startled, letting go of the letter. It fell, summer-salting in the air, landing in the fire place. The flames hungrily licked the paper, curling it, charred and burned until it was undistinguishable on the charred wood.

"Oh," She gasped. Then she turned and took care of Julia. Her motherly instincts kicking in.

She never thought of the letter ever again. Finding it better to let it slip from her mind. She would never know the secrets, if any, it possessed. But when the secrets involved two psychopaths she never knew, why should she care?

------------------------------Fin

As for Toby fans…How would this be believable if he got away with murder?


End file.
